Travel Mini-Guide: Outdoor Piedmont in a Nutshell - Part I

Some of the must-see destinations to discover the natural beauty of Piedmont!

For those visiting Piedmont for the first time, Turin is an unmissable destination. History has made the capital of Piedmont great, making it the first capital of Italy, and decorating it with baroque palaces, splendid museums, ancient squares, and historic cafés that give it a unique charm.
Turin is full of things to see and try, but often tourists don't know that just outside the city, less than a couple of hours by car, there are beautiful places to visit, ideal for various types of excursions or simply for day trips.

Below are some of the must-see destinations for those who want to breathe in the natural beauty of Piedmont without straying too far from the capital, managing in a short time to give space to both culture and nature.

Tours in Susa Valley

What to visit in Piedmont if not the Val di Susa? Once an almost mandatory path for those coming from France to reach Turin, the valley is dotted with churches, castles, trails, and historical landmarks, first among them the Sacra di San Michele, which can also be reached via a fun and easy via ferrata.
The Susa Valley also means, above all, the Alps: a unique natural landscape made up of meadows, pastures, forests, and mountains where over 2,000 plant species live, and where there is an incredible wealth of wildlife.
The Susa Valley is also a nature that is accessible, friendly, and engaging to its visitors. The discovery of this nature, its alpine lakes, and mountains can be made by following well-marked trails, ancient mule tracks, and forest paths.

• Why choose it: to walk along beautiful historical trails and enjoy an incredible variety of alpine landscapes.
• Main access locations: Bardonecchia, Avigliana, Susa.
• Symbolic mountains/locations: Mount Frejus, Mount Chaberton.
• Most important refuges: Arlaud, Fontana del Thures, Levi Molinari.
• Most famous routes: Via Francigena.
• Top experience: via ferrata excursion with an Alpine Guide.

Tours in Gran Paradiso

The Gran Paradiso National Park is the oldest national park in Italy. It straddles the regions of Aosta Valley and Piedmont, and stretches across five main valleys: Val di Rhêmes, Val di Cogne, Valsavarenche, Valle dell'Orco and Val Soana, where you can participate in numerous activities organized throughout the year.
Most of the mountains in the group were once carved and shaped by large glaciers and streams, creating the present-day valleys. In fact, as you climb up the slopes, larches and spruces give way to vast alpine meadows, rich in flowers in late spring. When’s the first excursion?

• Why choose it: to discover the oldest national park in Italy and its stunning valleys.
• Main access locations: Pont Valsavarenche, Valnontey.
• Symbolic mountains/locations: Gran Paradiso, Val di Cogne.
• Most important refuge: Vittorio Emanuele II.
• Top experiences: summit ascent of Gran Paradiso and e-bike or MTB excursion between Cogne and Valnontey.

Tours in the Monviso Valleys

The Monviso has always been the symbolic mountain of the Cuneo valleys and all of Piedmont: surrounded on three sides by the Western Alps and the Ligurian Apennines, it offers visitors a great variety of landscapes and different microclimates.
This Piedmontese mountain represents a strong tourist attraction, alongside which are the history and gastronomy: the Occitan valleys of Monviso, at the extreme western edge of Piedmont, condense both of these important aspects.
Along the most picturesque itineraries of the Monviso valleys, you can try excursions with snowshoes or other activities suitable for beginners, families, and those who want to explore nature.

• Why choose it: to immerse yourself in a mix of history, nature, and sports.
• Main access locations: Pian del Re.
• Symbolic mountain: The Stone King, Monviso.
• Most famous routes: tour of the Occitan valleys.
• Top experience: the Monviso loop.

Tour in the Mont Blanc Valleys

Mont Blanc is the highest mountain in Europe excluding the Caucasus and is one of the most coveted peaks by climbers and mountaineers from all over the world.
It is difficult to determine the exact height of the mountain because it is not a precise and unchanging value over time: the king of the Alps continuously changes, and this is one of its most fascinating aspects.
In Courmayeur, in the Aosta Valley, the nine cable cars allow you to reach the closest point to the mountain's summit: a real spectacle that also lets "non-climbers" enjoy breathtaking views and venture onto this mountain, a true Italian pride.

• Why choose it: to venture onto the highest mountain in Europe and enjoy breathtaking views.
• Main access locations: Courmayeur, Chamonix.
• Symbolic mountains/locations: Mont Blanc, Col du Gran Ferret.
• Most famous routes: Tour du Mont Blanc.
• Top experience: the traverse of the Vallée Blanche.

Tour in the Maritime Alps

Once a hunting reserve for the Savoy kings, today this enchanted mountain area houses, in the shadow of its peaks, the southernmost glaciers of the Alps, alongside countless alpine lakes and a treasure of animal and plant biodiversity.
Here, the ibex is at home, and the marmots announce the arrival of hikers and climbers with their whistles.
The numerous and picturesque mountain huts within the park allow multi-day excursions. Crossings can also extend to the adjacent Mercantour National Park, with which the Maritime Alps are twinned, forming a protected area of over 100,000 hectares. Not to be missed!

• Why choose it: to enjoy numerous excursions among peaks, lakes, and glaciers.
• Main access locations: Terme di Valdieri, Cuneo.
• Symbolic mountains/locations: Mercantour Park, Monte Argentera.
• Most important refuges: Dante Livio Bianco, Emilio Questa, Remondino.
• Most famous routes: tour of the lakes and peaks of Mount Argentera.
• Top experience: the High King’s Way tour.